22-023 Levi, a 25-month-old purebred English Cream Golden, came to AGR from a breeder in California who has surrendered dogs to us in the past. Our transporter made the long trip to pick up Levi and graciously donated the trip expenses! Levi was thought to have some leg or hip issues that the owner was treating with holistic supplements that were not working. He had only lived in outdoor kennels and had never been inside a house. On the trip back to AZ, the transporter tried twice to get Levi out of the travel crate to potty, but Levi wasn’t interested. He also wasn’t interested in leaving the crate once the transporter got it into his back yard – he had to take the gate and the top of the crate off in order to get Levi out, and he finally did potty. Levi was introduced to Gracie, another dog that the adopters had gotten from this same California breeder. The two dogs were quite fine with each other, but Levi exhibited some anxiousness when strangers came to the house. After a week the adopter reported that Levi was conquering his fears. He would finally enter any room in the house except the family room when the TV was on; he was also less nervous when meeting strangers. He discovered rabbits (wanted to chase), and when walking with the adopter, still showed some fear when a car or truck passed by. He needed everything at the vet: all vaccines, tests for valley fever and heartworm and, of course, to be neutered. Levi has been seen by two different vets and both said “wait and see” regarding his legs and hips. The adopter commented that Levi sort of waddles when he walks. He was running around with the transporter's Danny for two weeks (while they were on vacation) but has not shown any evidence of pain even though his front legs make a cracking sound like someone cracking their knuckles. Levi is currently taking Cosequin as a joint supplement, as well as Boswellia, reportedly an effective anti-inflammatory. When I wrote to the adopter asking for a statement about how Levi was doing, he decided to have Levi respond:

My name is Levi and I was born in the Ukraine two years ago. At six months I was shipped to the USA to become a breeding stud, but I had to wait until I was older to get started. And waiting meant life in a kennel. As I approached my second birthday I had to be tested to make sure I met Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) standards. This was a test I would eventually fail and that meant my life as a gigolo was over before it even began. I was sent to Arizona Golden Rescue to be rehabilitated as a family dog. When my new family brought me home, I was really amazed at what I had missed in life. I was afraid of everything, especially if it made noises. Don’t even get me started about that thing on the wall people call a TV! I didn’t know what the inside of a home looked like and places where it was safe and soft to take a nap. I didn’t know that there were certain places I could relieve myself and that didn’t include inside the house. I didn’t know humans could be used for cuddling and affection. I didn’t know there were things called treats in between meals. But I found that I really liked walks and playing with toys. I’m glad my new sister was there to help me through the process. She taught me all the good things and a few bad things very quickly. I found I had big dog “shoes” to fill when I moved in (my family had very recently lost their AGR adoptee, Jasper, who had lived here since 2012), but I help out as best I can. I enjoy helping Dad put his shoes on and playing fetch with his socks. I like to stay very close to him during the day moving from room to room with him. And I’m a great guard dog protecting the home from any strange noise - at 1 am in the morning.

We are really glad Levi is finally in a home with some wonderful, caring people and will never again be an outside-only dog. Welcome to your new life, Levi!